Chapter 1176: Summer Solstice (Requesting monthly tickets at the beginning of the month, two-in-one)

The sky is clear for ten thousand miles, the sun is just right.

The golden bricks on the palace floor reflect the young man. The Taibai long shirt has no folds or wrinkles, the black long hair is meticulous. This morning, the young man's hair was soaked and washed by Eying with soapberry water, then combed and managed more than ten times with a dense comb that could scrape off lice, each strand gathered and caged into a white jade crown. The light green stubble on his face was also carefully shaved clean.

Holding the jade axis, receiving the treasure seal.

Reborn, flying to the sky in broad daylight.

Wind and clouds change the clan, sun and moon increase splendor.

"Clatter."

The banners flutter, the stagnant breath rises and falls again. All the officials are surprised by this unheard-of "bulk" enfeoffment. Before they can look at each other and communicate, the Chief Eunuch holds up a tray, and inside the tray is an ivory-axis edict.

The Prime Minister picks it up at both ends, slowly unfolds it, and sings the heavenly steps again. Everyone suppresses the movement, bowing their heads again.

The newcomer steps forward.

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees:

I have heard that to govern the world, one must worship the way of filial piety and righteousness; to honor virtue and express merit, one should push the grace of shade. King of Huai Qu has attained the Saint Realm, guarding the Jiangchuan, his family and teachers and friends, all have the merit of teaching and assisting, how can I forget? Special grace is issued to show the style of transformation.

Princess of Huai, Long Eying, born from the door of the Jianghuai Dragon Lord, with a beautiful appearance, the moon room hangs essence. During the time when the King of Huai was a latent dragon, they walked together in coarse robes, guarding the cold and humble together. Since being matched with the enfeoffed king, she has been positioned as a first-rank Princess, granted a nine-pheasant four-phoenix crown, a red silk-woven pheasant garment, a bucket of coral and bright pearls, and a pair of East Sea jade discs...

Teacher Yang Dongxiong, a former brave general of the Western Army, has made many military achievements. He took off his armor and set up a hall to teach disciples, educating the hometown. Especially in accepting the King of Huai as a disciple, teaching him literature and martial arts, and teaching him a loyal heart. Now that the disciple is a Saint, the teacher's way is even more glorious. Specially granted the title of 'Zhaowu Teacher', rewarded with a unicorn robe and jade belt. Respectfully granted the 'National Grandmaster' plaque. Granted the rank of Martial Virtue Grandee, permitted to build a living shrine in his hometown..."

"Clatter."

The foam in the poplar basin overflows, the towel is dipped in cool water, wrung dry, applied to the face, wiping away the dryness of early summer and the sweat on the forehead. Chen Zhaoan exhales a long breath, lets his grandson Chen Tongmin take away the water basin, stands up holding the small table, wanting to go to the well to fish out a watermelon to quench the heat.

"How is the summer tax this year? No one in our town can't pay it, right?"

"Grandfather, rest assured, I asked early, every household has prepared, definitely not. Lord Liang is capable, exempted us from three years of taxes in Pingyang, until last year's summer tax, last year paid the autumn tax, this year's summer tax is the second batch... it's just that a few years, without eating, drinking, whoring, or gambling, the town has a good life, which family doesn't have some savings? Just waiting for someone to come and collect grain today, the situation should be about the same as last year's autumn tax..."

Before the words were finished, there was noise outside.

Chen Zhaoan frowns: "What happened outside, why is it so noisy..."

"I'll go see."

"Bang!"

The door was knocked open, the old man stumbled in, howling: "Father, it's not good! It's not good, they're fighting outside. Hundreds of people, holding rakes and hoes, are all blocking the pier! The grain collector was hit on the head and is bleeding!"

Chen Zhaoan and Chen Tongmin are shocked.

"What's going on? Why are they fighting? Did the grain collector collect too much or what?" Chen Zhaoan asks urgently.

"It's not that the grain collector collected too much, it's that someone doesn't want to pay!"

"Doesn't want to pay? Can't afford to pay? Is someone in the family sick?" Chen Zhaoan lets his grandson Chen Tongmin go get the yellow pear wood cane sent by Liang Qu, and is helped by his son to walk out quickly.

"Just don't want to pay! Lord Liang is capable, exempted us from three years of taxes in Pingyang, until last year's summer tax, last year paid the autumn tax, this year's summer tax is the second batch..."

"Grandfather, the cane is here!"

Chen Zhaoan grips the yellow pear wood cane tightly: "You continue!"

Chen Zhaoan's son, an old man who is also sixty this year, wipes his sweat: "Didn't the Imperial Court say in May that Lord Liang attained the Saint Realm, a great feast for the world, for seven days? People in the hometown talked about Lord Liang being enfeoffed as a king, and that he would continue to be tax-exempt."

"This matter is not false, but so what? Even if tax is exempted, it must be calculated from this year's autumn tax. The summer tax is too late. Could it be that the edict has already come down? Someone wants to calculate from the summer tax?"

"The edict hasn't come down, but Father, have you forgotten? Every year, not only is tax exempted, but the Imperial Court also writes off arrears! Twice already, a bunch of damn people have gained experience, seized this point, and don't intend to pay this year's summer tax, wanting to drag this sum into arrears, just waiting for the Imperial Court to write it off, earning an extra half a year! Originally, only a few people took the lead, but once someone did this, everyone felt unbalanced, felt they were at a loss, so they just didn't pay at all. The grain collector got angry, said a few harsh words and scolded people, and was blocked in the alley and beaten. You go see quickly."

Chen Zhaoan's eyes go dark, the hand gripping the cane has blue veins bursting, gasping for breath.

"Father!"

"Grandfather!"

"Quick, quick, carry me!"

Chen Tongmin is quick-eyed and fast-handed, lifting Chen Zhaoan onto his back, following his father's directions, rushing into the alley where fighting and killing are heard, shouting: "The old clan leader is here! The village elder is here! Stop fighting! Stop fighting!"

The old clan leader and village elder, who also presided over the great sacrifices every year, only stopped presiding in the last two years due to old age. Chen Zhaoan's prestige still exists. The noisy alley quickly quiets down.

Chen Zhaoan lands on the ground, walking quickly through the crowd, seeing the three clerks collecting grain in the alley.

Pingyang Prefecture is a top-tier prosperous place, and the clerks who come to collect grain in the town have Four Gates level, but Yixing Town is not what it used to be. Every year, teenagers take subsidies to enter the Huaiyin Martial Arts Hall to practice martial arts. Several clerks were beaten until their heads were broken and bleeding, lying on the ground dying.

"Tongmin, Tongmin!"

"Grandfather!"

"Quick, send people to the medical hall, no, don't move them yet, be careful of bones piercing the lungs, go invite the doctor from Changchun Hall, quick!"

"Yes!"

Chen Zhaoan covers his chest, slowing down again and again, the cane in his hand trembling and pointing at the crowd: "Lord Liang is enfeoffed as a king in the capital, received by the Son of Heaven, and you are here losing face for him for a few stones of grain! Losing face!"

"Old clan leader, you can't be indiscriminate, it was this dog-day who scolded people first!"

Before the young man finished speaking, the yellow pear wood cane smashed down on his head.

Chen Zhaoan chases and waves the cane, all hitting the head, cursing angrily: "What is our town called? What is Lord Liang's title? Yixing, Yixing!

'If the Dao is to be practiced, people will compete to praise. People will value names, people will spread voices, people will share glory.' I know and remember the words of the academy.

Lord Liang spent money to send you to study, sent you to learn martial arts, and this is what you learned. Learning to be cunning, learning to deliberately be in arrears and wait for write-offs? Who took the lead in this matter? Stand out!"

The young man falls to the ground, not daring to resist.

The rest look at each other, no one speaks.

"Good, good! Your wings are hard, I am old, I can't manage you, fine, I won't manage, wait for Lord Liang to return to Yixing to deal with you!"

The crowd is suddenly panicked, pointing fingers seven hands and eight feet.

"Him, it's him!"

"And him!"

"They don't want to pay! Village elder, I saw they didn't want to pay, so I didn't pay. Why should they pay half a year less?"

Everyone points to the few leading men. Chen Zhaoan sees one of them, his eyes narrow: "Liang Liu! I knew it was you! You are just like your father! Same virtue!"

Liang Liu shrinks his head, stammering, but still stubborn: "My family really can't afford grain, what can I do? They want to learn, what does it have to do with me? What can I do? Oh, practicing martial arts, studying, usually all the benefits have nothing to do with me, leading to my family's poverty, unable to pay grain, why come to find trouble with me? Don't bully people like this."

"Yes, that's right, just can't afford it!"

"No grain, just one life, take me to dig the canal!"

The crowd is excited. There is no reason not to take advantage of cheap things. It was actually brought out by Liang Liu, wrapping up half the people, forcing them toward Chen Zhaoan, the sound wave covering the angry scolding.

The remaining majority look at the two waves of people colliding and accusing each other, leaning against the wall, neither wanting to pay grain nor feeling that the matter is glorious. Good tax exemption, turned into this.

Chen Zhaoan feels dizzy, not expecting that he would not be able to suppress these young people.

Suddenly.

The scene goes quiet.

The noisy alley stops, everyone looks at the alley entrance. Liang Liu shrinks his head even more, drilling into the crowd.

"Click, click, click..."

The sound of wheels crushing blue bricks rolls over. Chen Qingjiang is driving a donkey cart to deliver grain to Shangrao Pier, passing by the alley entrance.

"Old clan leader, what's going on here? Making such a big noise?"

"Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough."

Chen Zhaoan coughs violently. Chen Qingjiang hurriedly jumps off the cart to pat the old clan leader's back: "What's wrong? All gathered here? Not paying grain today? Changed the place?"

Chen Zhaoan waves his hand, knowing clearly what's going on. Liang Guangtian is a showpiece, with reality but no name. This is Liang Qu's "uncle." Looking at the entire Yixing Town, now only Chen Qingjiang can suppress this group of people. He waves his cane at the crowd: "Pay grain, everyone go pay grain."

No one moves.

Chen Qingjiang is puzzled: "The grain collector didn't come? Why is everyone not going?"

Chen Zhaoan's cane hits the ground heavily: "Pay grain!"

The crowd moves.

Chen Qingjiang is confused. Wasn't it quite lively here just now? Why is there no sound as soon as he comes over?

"... Foster mother Yang Men Xu Shi Wan, as the teacher's wife of the King of Huai, grace is like a compassionate mother. In the past, she raised the orphan with the general, raising heroes in the grass; encouraging lofty ambitions in the cold window. Now the foster son has become a dragon, and the compassionate light can be comforted. Specially enfeoffed as 'Lady Zhenyi', granted a dove cane and golden crown...

Father Liang... posthumously enfeoffed...

Mother Liang... posthumously enfeoffed...

Grandfather Liang... posthumously enfeoffed...

Grandmother Liang...

Alas! Receiving the mandate of Heaven, it is truly due to virtue. You should each follow the rituals and degrees, and forever shine with grace and glory. The King of Huai should carefully guard the way of a son, although he is in the Saint position, do not forget the grace of the parents. Respect this."

Enfeoffed by merit, glory reaching the ancestors.

Clouds drift, golden light shines for ten thousand zhang!

The Tianchen Hall announces, the ritual plays "Zhonghe Shao Music".

"Pass!"

"Pass!"

"Pass!"

The edict is received, three words passed in succession, the attendant holds it high above his head with both hands, holds the cloud tray, walks quickly down the middle steps of the imperial road, and turns to the Meridian Gate of the Imperial City.

The Heavenly Feather is lined up, the officials of the Court of Diplomatic Reception kneel to receive the edict facing north, place it on the edict case, and then read it out, announcing it to heaven and earth.

After reading, the edict is put into the cloud tray, and another is held by the Langzhong of the Ministry of Rites. Surrounded by honor guards, the canopy covers the top, goes out along the central axis imperial road, reaches the left gate of the Imperial City, the elders of the capital, envoys of various countries, scholars, farmers, workers, and merchants, all kneel to listen to the edict, reaching all the people.

The ceremony is completed, the copying official respectfully records it on yellow silk, called "Teng-Huang."

Outside the capital, the scouts at the post station are full of food and drink, prepare fast horses, accept "Teng-Huang," tuck it into their bosoms, mount their horses, and spread it to the world.

Throwing a stone splashes ripples, suddenly rising waves, spreading from the center of the capital to every province, every prefecture, every county of Great Shun, waves surging.

Jianghuai rises, Liang Qu is King!

From now on, step steadily to the sky clouds. Don't boast about the three thousand miles of water system, just sing ten thousand families of songs!

The jade disc shines, shining with reflected light.

"Enfeoffing Marquis Baron Xingyi with thirteen ports, and only collecting 70% of the profits, unheard of. In this way, isn't the King of Huai's fief 'shattered'?"

"Not only that, most of these ports, this official has never even heard of. Only one Yixing is known, because of the Marquis's title. Could it be that they are all small ports?"

The crowd disperses from the Imperial Palace, talking in twos and threes.

Inside the Qinzheng Hall, incense curls.

The palace maids stand by, Liang Qu grips the King's Seal, staring at the enfeoffment map, dazed, his spirit wandering.

A total of thirteen red dots are circled on the map, both in Southern Zhili and not in Southern Zhili, both in the Huai River and not in the Huai River...

"For this fief, Lord Liang can have any surprises?"

"Your Majesty!" Liang Qu returns to his senses, sees the Holy Emperor entering from the side hall, salutes respectfully, and admits frankly: "Surprise."

Never expected that enfeoffment could be given like this. Ordinary enfeoffed kings, the fief is the scope of a prefecture, different according to the orientation. In the northwest border, the fief is large, in the prosperous Central Plains, it is small, like the Prince of Yue, the fief is in Ningjiang Prefecture, belonging to the smaller category.

Therefore, the size of the fief and the level of prosperity are often a direct reflection of the strength of an enfeoffed king. Prince Chong changing to the South Sea Commandery is an "upgrade." Whether an enfeoffed king is strong or not can also be seen directly from the title.

But no matter how it is divided, there has never been such a "shattered" precedent!

Thirteen ports in the upper and lower reaches of the Huai River, combined, each port together with its affiliated places is combined into one county. Combined, it is exactly the size of one prefecture!

This "total" prefecture-sized land is Liang Qu's fief!

If it were someone else, they would definitely scold their mother. Under heaven, how can there be such enfeoffment? Shattered, running from east to west, the place is not big, thirteen county towns, but in Liang Qu's eyes, thirteen fiefs, thirteen red dots, are actually connected with the Huai River, are one color, all connected by the Huai River waterway, becoming a whole piece.

Speaking of this, this "King of Huai" is truly a bit unworthy of the name. There are some in the northwest, and some in the southeast. It is probably because the distribution is too scattered, and there are some everywhere, so calling it anything is not appropriate, so he borrows the Huai name of the Huai River.

"That is more surprise, or more satisfaction?"

"After the surprise, only satisfaction remains!" Liang Qu is radiant, "Unfortunately, if Your Majesty had told this subject the third choice earlier, this subject could have been happy for another month."

The Chief Eunuch deliberately jokes: "The King of Huai can't always be happy. If you were happy early, wouldn't you be less happy today?"

Liang Qu shakes his head: "Chief Eunuch, you are wrong. Knowing a month earlier is the joy of expectation. Just like a letter sent from home, when the letter is on the way, it becomes the joy of harvest when it arrives. This is two kinds of joy."

"Makes sense." The Chief Eunuch nods in response, "In this way, the King of Huai is indeed less happy because of His Majesty."

The Holy Emperor laughs loudly.

"Lord Liang, do you know why I enfeoffed you like this?"

"It is naturally because of favoritism toward this subject, favored to the point of surprise, grace so deep that I don't know how to repay. This subject dares not forget."

"Marquis Liang, do you know why I granted you this title?"

"But the ministers in the cabinet are still saying that the ancestral law cannot be changed, so I cut again, sharing the tax, and only then did they agree. Pingyang built Jiangchuan, before merging Lanzhou, the county count was also thirteen, so I gave you thirteen ports."

"Ten thousand thanks, Your Majesty!"

Liang Qu is full of excitement.

The greatest benefit of being an enfeoffed king is naturally the independence of governance, and all income within the fief belongs to the enfeoffed king himself.

The current situation is that there is governance power, and most of the economic benefits are divided out, but what if they are divided out?

With a pier, and relying on his own ability, is he afraid he can't earn money from the remaining 30%?

Damn it, what is personality charm? This is personality charm. If one day someone jumps out to fight for the throne, can he not come out and argue to support it?

"There is one matter, I must inform you in advance."

Liang Qu bows: "Your Majesty, please speak."

"These thirteen ports still need to be independent from the local area, re-delineate the county territory, merge towns and villages. This matter is not a day's work, it requires multiple departments to inspect. Once completed, it will take at least several months. And the ports are not ready-made, they are shallow water areas. As far as the current situation is concerned, they are actually not suitable for building ports, but they win in having many people."

"What's difficult about this? It's nothing more than the two words 'construction'. Meet mountains, open mountains; meet water, build bridges! If Your Majesty really gave this subject thirteen world-first ports, that would be boring. Doing some practical things, there is no sense of harvest at all."

Shallow water?

One dragon-slaying slash and it will be deep, absolutely suitable for docking ships. The most critical one is 【Vortex Escape Path】!

This is the real big killer. The water spiders rented from the River-Lake Office will have great use.

The Turtle King, Frog King, Sea Master, etc., went to the Southern Frontier, and the waterway matter has already been exposed. To this day, there is no need to cover it up. At the same time, without Xuan-Huang Qi, unable to transmit Martial Saints, it is also a kind of disguised condition trust.

Liang Qu can't wait to show his grand plans and engage in construction.

These will all be his places, he can do whatever he wants!

Eight hundred years, he can even open interstellar warships.

Seeing Liang Qu's impatience, the Holy Emperor doesn't keep him, letting him go to celebrate with his relatives.

"Later, go to the Imperial Horse Prison to choose fine horses. Three days later, worship the temple, inform the ancestors, and go see the Martial Immortal with me. During these three days, burn incense and bathe as usual."

"Yes!"

Stepping on white cloud boots, walking out of the Qinzheng Hall.

The sky is wide and the earth is vast, white clouds drift.

Liang Qu's temples fly, he sees many people standing on the square, waiting silently, "Princess of Huai" Long Eying, "Zhaowu Teacher" Yang Dongxiong, "Lady Zhenyi" Xu Shi, a group of senior brothers and sisters, "Earl of Jingbo" Su Guishan, "Earl of Anxiang" Xu Yuelong, Xu Wenzhu, Ke Wenbin, Xiang Fang Su...

All are the roads they came from.

Stepping down the steps.

Countless emotions are brewing within.

Liang Qu pretends to wipe away tears, walks forward slowly, and sighs faintly.

The crowd is stunned, then hears.

"The lonely... it's cold at the top."

"Damn!"

【Biography of the King of Huai】:

"Liang Qu, from Yixing, Pingyang, was lonely and poor in his youth but had a chivalrous spirit. He studied under the former general of the Western Army, Yang Dongxiong. He once repaid the grace of a meal from a neighbor with a thousand gold, and raised his son to be talented...

... At eighteen, he broke the Hunting Tiger record, at twenty-two, he broke the Perfected Form realm. When the Northern Court invaded, he went out of the Great Snow Mountain alone, beheaded one of the eight beasts; fought in Heyuan, killed two more beasts, and the northern border was peaceful.

At twenty-seven, he pacified the Southern Frontier chaos. As soon as he arrived at the battlefield, he beheaded fifteen Grandmasters. In less than ten days, he destroyed the sharp and beheaded more than thirty Grandmasters, captured Red Water, subdued Black Water, recovered Lingnan. The next month, he attained the Dao and became a Saint, then destroyed the water mansion demon queen and King Chu, and collected twenty-eight dragon vessels. Promoted to Duke of Pingyang, enfeoffed as King of Huai, opened a government in Jianghuai. The Saint Realm has been attained, and the mountains and rivers are forever solid."

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 1177 =====

On the 27th, he suppressed the southern insect rebellion, arriving at the front lines to slay over fifteen sect masters. In less than a ten-day period, he broke the vanguard, slew over thirty more sect masters, captured the Red Water, forced the Black Water to surrender, and recovered Lingnan. The following month, he attained the Dao and became a Saint, then annihilated the Water Mansion's Demon Queen and the King of Chu, recovering twenty-eight dragon artifacts. He was promoted to Prince of Huai and established his manor in Jianghuai. With the Saint realm verified, the mountains and rivers shall be secure forever.

(End of Chapter)